


friends in all places

by greywardenblue



Series: wildfrostflight [2]
Category: Lovestruck - Fandom, Reigning Passions (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:48:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22033567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greywardenblue/pseuds/greywardenblue
Summary: A rewrite of the last few episodes of Sevastian's S2, because Quince deserves better, and that cliffhanger killed me.
Relationships: Sevastian/Main Character
Series: wildfrostflight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1596274
Kudos: 7





	friends in all places

“Quince, wait!”

My hand shoots forward and I grab his arm without thinking. He doesn’t turn to look at me, and I can feel his muscles tensing under my grip, but he doesn’t shrug me off like I thought he would.

“I wanted to tell you,” I say, my words rushing out. “I wanted to, but only two of my friends know the truth, and they both kept telling me I shouldn’t trust anyone. And I’ve already been betrayed and almost assassinated twice, and then something that looked like a gift turned out to be a slushing listening device, and I haven’t even told Piama yet, and she’s my _friend_ …”

I try to keep my tears in, because I don’t want him to think I’m manipulating him by crying, but I can hear my voice shake anyway. I need to be strong.

“I want to be your friend,” I say in anguish, and I mean it. “And I wish I was a Spring Princess, so our friendship didn’t have to double as an alliance. But I’m not.” I realise I’m still gripping his arm, so hard that it must hurt, but he doesn’t even flinch. I pull back. “I’m not,” I say. “I’m a girl from the Wilds, and I have no idea how court politics work, and one wrong move can get me killed. And not just me, but the men I love–”

I feel like someone poured a bucket of melted snow over my head when I realise what I just said. My hand twitches, like it’s about to fly to my mouth, but I can’t even move.

Quince lets out a long breath, and I can see the little puff of warm air against the cold. He takes my arm, gentler than I did. His face is still sad, and I knew I hurt him deeply. But maybe he will forgive me.

“Let’s sit down somewhere,” he says, and I follow.

–

“No!”

I push through the crowd with no regard to whose feet I’m stepping on. I will make my apologies later, if there is a later to be had. A guard - somebody, not Amara - grabs for me, but I dodge and scramble on the podium, right on top of Sevastian. I put my body between his and the blade, and the blade stops.

“April, get away,” Sevastian hisses, but I hardly hear him. “Go with Galen. _Go_.”

“Pax,” I say, pushing away Sevastian’s voice. “Pax, you know who I am. I command…” I remember the hurt on Quince’s face when he thought my friendship came with a price, and I feel ashamed the word even left my mouth. “I’m asking you to stand down. Please, stand down.”

There is a beat of silence, and I cannot see Pax’s face under the hood, even if I know it’s him. Then, finally, slowly, he lowers the large blade next to himself and stands up straight.

I push myself to my feet, and when somebody reaches out to pull Sevastian up, I’m ready to fight them until I see Amara’s face. I look out to the crowd and I see faces. I see Tristan, furious and shocked at the same time. I see Lady Vo in similar state. I see Piama and Lyris, their faces pale and frightened, her hand clutching his arm as hard as I clutched Quince back in the Winter Quarter.

“My name is April,” I say, and my voice rings out in the sudden silence. “I am stopping this execution because there is something more important to talk about.”

“April,” Sevastian says, and I almost change my mind when I hear the desperation in his voice. Almost.

“And I am the true heir to the throne of Lysende.”

There is an uproar, and Sevastian is talking to me, and I think Amara is saying something too, but I can’t hear them even though they are right next to me. The crowd is moving, and somehow my eyes can only focus on Lyris and Piama. Lyris looks even paler than he did before my announcement. Piama is tapping his shoulder frantically, and I don’t need to be able to hear them to know what she’s asking.

And then before I can pass out and let the darkness claim me, Quince’s hand is on my arm, holding me firm. He announces that I will be taken to the throne room and tested against the fruit that is supposed to kill anyone not of royal blood, and for a moment, I wonder what will happen if we were wrong.

“Take the Prince of Winter to the dungeons,” Quince says to Amara in a low voice. “And stand guard.”

I’m about to protest, but when I look in his eyes, I understand. He’s not telling Amara to guard Sevastian so he won’t escape. He’s telling her to guard him against the crowd and those who would hurt him, Summer or Winter or anyone else.

Quince leads me away, and the warmth of his hand is the only thing keeping me on my feet.

I have friends here. My life is in their hands now, and so is Sevastian’s. It’s time I started trusting them.


End file.
